A Roman North African red slip (terra sigillata) ware flagon. The vessel has a wide downward sloping rim, a tubular neck with a ribbed strap handle extending to the shoulders, and a globular body which is decorated with two bands of rouletted patterns. The flagon stands on a short ring foot.
 
Roman colonies of Northern Africa: Circa 150-200 AD.
 
Very fine condition: a couple of small nicks to the edge of the rim, otherwise intact, with no repairs or restoration.
Height 14.4 cms (5.7 ins).
 
Provenance: From a Danish private collection. In the period 1971 to 1991 deposited at the Odense University, study collection, department of Classical Archaeology.
 
For a similar type, see British Museum number 1997,1110.2 https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/G_1997-1110-2
 
This type of high-quality pottery was made of fine clay in central Tunisia. Although fine red slip ware, the so-called 'Arretine' ware, was first produced in Italy, African red slip ware was the most popular type of tableware in the Roman Empire by the 3rd century AD. Red slip ware pottery was made in Roman Africa from the 1st to the 7th century AD.
 
See our blog post on Roman pottery